


What If?

by dassala



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 01:44:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12159048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dassala/pseuds/dassala
Summary: Killian Jones comes to the rescue with rocky road and comfort during Emma's latest breakup.





	What If?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PhiraLovesLoki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhiraLovesLoki/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to the lovely PhiraLovesLoki! Wonderful beta work by eirabach/mahstatins - Thank you, darling!

As soon as he picked up the phone and heard that tell-tale sniffle on the other end of the line, Killian Jones knew exactly what had happened.

  
“Oh Swan,” he sighed, picking himself up off of his well-worn leather armchair and looking around for his boots, “chocolate truffle or rocky road this time?”  


“...rocky road,” she muttered.  


Ten minutes later he knocked softly upon the door to her loft before letting himself in.  


Emma was sitting on her sofa, a pile of used tissues lying atop the coffee table before her. He wasted little time in grabbing a couple of spoons from the tiny kitchen and taking his usual spot in the recliner beside her. She snagged a spoon from his hand as he fussed with the plastic bag and opened up the carton.  


“I thought he was different,” she sighed after swallowing her first spoonful. “Why can’t some guys keep it in their pants? Why? What is so genetically wrong with them?”  


With a shrug, Killian picked at a large bit of marshmallow with his spoon. “They don’t know what they have with you,” he replied, glancing up into her red, watery eyes. “You’re a loyal, amazing girlfriend to them and they can’t handle it.”  


“Walsh, he...he talked about making a commitment this time.” Grabbing a hair tie from the side table, she threw her hair up into a messy bun, her spoon captured between her teeth.  


Killian watched with amusement and bent his head to hide his smirk. Not that she would notice. She was cute when she was a complete mess, and it was part of the reason he was always available to her when she had another disastrous breakup. “And you agreed to that notion?”  


She shrugged in reply, dipping the spoon back into the mess of chocolatey goodness. “I’m getting older. Why not?”  


He frowned and sat up a bit taller, watching her curiously. “That sounds like resignation. Like you considered settling for the bloke. What makes you think you should ever settle?”  


“Doesn’t matter,” she waved the thought away and sighed, “because it won’t happen, now. I’m doomed. I should start collecting cats.”  


“You’re allergic to cats.”  


“What else do spinsters collect? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a crazy old dust bunny lady,” she smirked and tucked her spoon into the dessert before pulling her legs up to her chest.  


He stood and placed the ice cream carton aside, grasping an old afghan from the back of the sofa. He carefully wrapped it around her shoulders, bending slightly in front of her to tuck it in just right. Emma watched the way he moved. His actions were silent and effortless, almost routine. It had never quite occurred to her that he would grow tired of assisting her, caring for her even, after her breakup. It just was in his nature to always think of her first, it seemed.  


“Why...why do you always help me?”  


Bent in front of her, Killian’s eyebrow raised slowly. “I’m sorry?”  


She sat up, placed her stocking feet on the floor and looked at him more closely. “You’re always here when I need you. And you never complain.”  


“Aye, love,” he replied and stood again, cocking his head to the side as he looked down at her, “I’m here _because_ you need me. I couldn’t fathom leaving you to suffer alone.”  


Nodding carefully, Emma narrowed her gaze. “Do you remember when I broke up with Jefferson?”  


With a laugh, Killian settled back into his chair and nodded, “Fudge ripple, I think. And Chinese food, since he would never let you order any. That chap was truly mad.”  


“Yeah,” Emma chewed on her lower lip in thought. “Are you in love with me?”  


Killian paused, having just gathered up another scoop of ice cream. His spoon dangled in mid-air from his motionless hand as he slowly looked over to her.  


“Pardon? Forgive me, I think I hallucinated just now,” he finally responded.  


Scooting to the edge of the sofa, the afghan dropping away from her shoulders, Emma leaned in toward her friend. “Do you come over here after every breakup and listen to all of my griping because you’re in love with me?”  


With a defensive laugh, Killian gathered up the things from the coffee table and placed the lid on the ice cream carton. “You’ve been watching too many RomComs,” he muttered, stepping toward the kitchen.  


“That’s not a ‘no’, Jones,” Emma turned in her seat and watched him over the back of the sofa. “I mean, you should probably tell me if you are.”  


“Shall I order us a pizza with olives? I know Walsh hated them,” he deflected once more. He placed the ice cream into the freezer and bent to check the refrigerator’s supplies. “I could probably make something, as well.”  


“Killian,” Emma was suddenly behind him. Standing, Killian closed his eyes and remained still with his back to her. The refrigerator door slowly closed, exacerbating the stony silence between them.  


“I can’t take the chance, Emma,” he replied. He reached up and scrubbed at his face with his hands.  


“What chance?” She knew, had he been comfortable enough to do so, he would have turned to face her. So she made no attempt to force him to look at her. “What do you mean?”  


His shoulders lifted as he drew in a deep breath. “I can’t take the chance that I’m wrong for you.”  


Emma’s brow furrowed slightly and she leaned against the countertop in thought. “I don’t…”  


Turning, Killian finally faced her. She searched his soft blue eyes, which had gone slightly wet. “You break up with these guys and you never talk to them again,” he sighed. “What happens if I’m not the one you’re supposed to be with and...and I lose you completely?”  


Touching her fingers to her lips, Emma felt tears pricking at her eyes again. She had ignored the signs for so long, and now the notion that had started as a joke in her mind was...it was real. Her best friend since high school, the only person who was always there for her in times of need was actually, truly in love with her. And she had never seen it.  


“What if you are...and we never take that chance?” She whispered, swallowing hard. “What if I’m choosing all of these losers because I...I somehow know that I’m just biding my time with them? Because I know you’ll be there when they do something to screw me over?”  


“Please, Swan,” he whispered in reply, shaking his head, “can’t we just...forget this happened and move on?”  


“What if I love you, too?”  


The silence returned, but this time, his gaze was locked firmly to hers. “Don’t toy with me like that.”  


She knew how much of a mess she was, in pajama pants, an oversized t-shirt from college, and fuzzy socks. But something told her that was okay with him. Stepping forward, Emma placed her hands gently against his blue-checked button up. She tilted her head back to look directly up at him. “I love you too, Killian.”  


The breath he drew was shaky, and she could most definitely see tears welling up in his eyes. He frowned, swallowing hard.  


“I love you, Emma,” he finally whispered. “I have since...forever.”  


She released something between a laugh and a sob, shaking her head. “Why did you never say anything?”  


“I couldn’t lose you,” his neckline, which was easily visible through the open buttons on his shirt, had flushed a vibrant pink. As she looked back up to him again, she noticed a slight smile on his lips. “You’re so much to me,” he murmured.  


She reached up and buried her fingers in his thick, dark hair. He leaned into her touch as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips firmly against his.  


Killian’s breath caught in his chest as she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, pressing his body against hers. He had dreamt of this moment since the first time he had seen her, and there was no going back from it now.  


A fire had been lit inside of Emma that she had not felt before. She had always had a healthy sexual appetite with her former boyfriends, but not quite like this. Her fingers wandered down over his shoulders and below, finding the buttons on his shirt and nimbly flicking them open. Emma was not the only one who had confessed relationship troubles over the years. She had done her fair share of listening as well. And living in a small town, well, the girls Killian dated were prone to gossipping.  


“Emma,” he muttered against her lips, shaking his head as he pulled away. He grasped her hands and looked into her eyes. “You’re just upset. Maybe we should talk about this another time.”  


“I’m not waiting any longer, Jones,” Emma replied, her pupils wide with excitement. “And I’m not doing this just to forget. I want this. I want you.”  


Something like a growl escaped his throat as Killian scooped her up, wrapping his arms low around her backside. With a gasp, Emma wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him once more, moaning against his mouth. He was stronger than she had ever realized, and definitely a better kisser than any of the guys she had dated. He traced her lips with his tongue, nipping delicately between deep, lingering kisses.  


She held tight to him, warmth growing deep within her belly that she knew only he would be able to satisfy. As they reached her bedroom, he bent to lay her down upon the bed, turning his head to press his lips against her neck.  


With a low moan, Emma finished her work on his shirt and peeled it away from his body. He grasped her hip, grinding against her with a slow, deliberate motion.  


“Tell me you’re sure,” he whispered. Emma knew he was reaching a point where he would be absolutely gutted to stop. And she most certainly did not want him to stop with her; not ever. She felt the press of his thick erection against her inner thigh and gasped, pressing the back of her head into the disheveled duvet.  


“Oh God, I’m sure,” she breathed. “Please, Killian. Make love to me.”  


For every moment over the years that he had fantasized about the woman writhing beneath him, Killian Jones had forced away the imprudent thoughts about her. He always believed her to think of him as more like a brother, than a potential lover. But now, now he knew that he could proceed with loving her. He pressed his lips again to her collarbone, his hands making quick work of her flannel fortune cookie pajama pants.  


Emma’s skin burned with every touch. She aided him in undressing her, with only a slight second of embarrassment washing over her when he stood to drink her in.  


“You’re the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Emma Swan,” he confessed. Emma sat up, grasping his belt at the waist and tugging it open.  


“You’re not too bad yourself, Killian Jones,” she smirked. As she freed him from his uncomfortably-tight jeans, Emma slid her hand around his length and swallowed hard, her eyebrow raised. “Wow...really not bad...at all.”  


He groaned at her touch and reserved comment, as now was not the time to boast. Dropping what remained of his clothing to the floor, he pressed gently upon her shoulders, his lips meeting hers once again.  


It seemed the ladies at the bar did not lie when it came to him. She always rolled her eyes and served up another drink with a sarcastic ‘congratulations’ every time they came into the bar the night after spending an evening with her best friend. Little had she known that her sarcasm was rooted in jealousy.  


The brush of his scruff against her thigh brought her back into the moment. Emma drew in a deep breath, lifting her head to look down at him. First she felt his fingers against her, accompanied by a whispered praise to some deity or another, then his mouth was warm and most certainly welcome, pressed against her clit.  


“Fuck,” she groaned, parting her legs a bit more for him, her arms resting calmly upon her stomach.  


“Patience,” he muttered and quickly swiped at her with his tongue. Emma was certain she would have beard rash on her thighs after this, but the most torturous thing about it would be that every rub against it would remind her of this very moment and make her ache with want.  


Killian groaned low at the taste of her, sliding two of his fingers deep inside. His cock twitched with anticipation, but he was concerned that just diving into it would leave her frightfully unsatisfied. That was no way to treat the woman he had loved for years. Or any woman, for that matter. He was, if nothing else, a gentleman. As Emma squirmed beneath his ministrations, Killian hummed, thoroughly enjoying every second of pleasuring her.  


Perhaps it was the anticipation of the moment, or maybe he was just _that good_ , but before she knew it, Emma was wailing in pleasure, twisting the duvet in one hand and tugging at Killian’s hair with the other. Her chest heaved as he slowed the pace of his movements, bringing her carefully down with deliberate presses of his tongue. She reached for him, pulling her lover up to kiss the hell out of that talented mouth of his.  


She quickly positioned his hips between her thighs, reaching blindly to guide him against her. He groaned against her lips, his strong arms supporting his weight as he hovered over her. His length slid easily up against her warm wetness, but he dared not make the final move yet.  


“Please,” Emma whispered, dragging her fingers down his stubbled cheek, “I need you.”  


He needed no more encouragement than that, and with a dip of his hips, he was inside of her. Emma breathed deeply, closing her eyes. He filled her entirely, and so much more than any man ever had before. “Oh Gods,” she moaned, her fingernails digging slightly into his back. He waited for just a moment, gathering himself from the intense feeling of burying within her, and then he finally moved.  


Emma opened her eyes to find him staring directly down at her. He leaned down to kiss her, but merely a ghost of his lips against hers as he settled into a steady pace. Holding onto him tightly, Emma wrapped her legs around his backside and moved with him. The feeling of holding one another so intimately after so many years was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She buried her face against his shoulder, emitting soft cries of delight as he adjusted his strokes, pressing against just the right places.  


“Emma,” he whispered, moving one hand to hold her hip as he moved. She was now his Emma, and everything seemed totally right with the world. For all of the broken, disappointing relationships they had both endured, it had all led up to finding each other. He knew. He knew that she was his soulmate in every single way. He shivered with delight at every stroke within her, affirming his suspicions that he would not last long this time. “Emma I…”  


She cut him off with a loud shout of his name, her back arching as she pressed her body to his. The feeling of her body squeezing so tightly around him was almost too much. Mere seconds later, he joined her in ecstasy, with the tips of her fingers lovingly tracing the back of his neck as caught his breath.  


As he collapsed onto his side, he pulled her up to him, pressing his lips to her forehead, “Please tell me that was not a one-time-thing.”  


Emma giggled, “Are you kidding? Of course not.”  


He combed his fingers through her hair, twisting its golden softness around his fingertips with a contented hum.  


“Besides, you’re entirely too quiet when you come,” she smirked and rubbed his chest softly, “And I take it as a personal challenge to make you louder.”  


He grinned and leaned down to give her a slow kiss.  


“Game on.”


End file.
